


Dahlia

by koyeop



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Multiple Personalities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 14:43:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13661139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koyeop/pseuds/koyeop
Summary: Dahlia - To stay graceful in stressful situations, commitment to another person, to stay kind despite life eventsThe road of recovery is not so easily walked.Based on the Day 10 events of Ray's route.





	Dahlia

    "Hm…? What are you doing in the kitchen?” Saeran questioned, tapping his fingers against the maple desk where his impromptu setup had been placed. It consisted of only a laptop, but it made do for what he needed. There was no time during the hasty escape to pack up his equipment, nor was there any way to lug monitors all the way across open fields, and forests to this abandoned cabin. He wondered how it was kept so clean. There was a lack of large roaches scuttling about, mosquitoes clinging to dated lamps, detritus that had made its way in through smashed window panes and blown open doors. Only a thin layer of dust coated the dressers and tables. It had been lived in recently, that much was obvious. But just who had owned this? Who left such a frail lock on the door, easy enough for the hacker to break off with a couple hard hits with a nearby stone? More importantly, how come you two were the first to come across this gem of a place? Either ways, the cabin was a blessing you could never be thankful enough existed. Without its presence, the two of you would be running for days, sleeping in the brushes, with no electricity to allow a connection between Saeran and the intelligence unit. There would have been no chance of saving Seven. In his mind, Saeran thanked the owner of this cabin, and prayed one day he could forgive the intrusion that had occured in his absence.

    “I thought I’d make you something to eat! You’ve been working so hard…” The voice echoed in his ears, reaching his eardrums through the speaker, and faintly, through the walls. The sweetest chime of you made his cheeks burn with glee, hearing your voice not once, but twice. It surrounded him, filled the empty house with sound. Warmth radiated through him. Your words however, tugged ever so gently on his heartstrings.

    “Why are you worried about me? I should be the one making you something to eat,” He spoke into the receiver. Slowly he stood up and began to make his way to the kitchen, preferring to speak to you face to face. You were in the same house, yet for some reason you’d still call each other out of habit. It was easy to forget that there was no believers, no Rika, no locked doors to prevent you from seeing each other. All of that was a few miles behind you now. What laid ahead was unknown. He could only hope it continued to be this. A warm, bright house, with a warm, bright you. Calloused fingertips traced the frames that lined the doors as he passed through them, one by one. His gentle footsteps would not normally be heard by anyone, but you had no problem distinguishing them from the regular creaks and groans of the cabin. Your head turned in his direction, meeting his gaze. A gentle smile graced his lips as he gently embraced you. He breathed in the scent of your hair and sighed. Why did he ever hate this smell? It was sweeter than hydrangeas, more refreshing than freesia. He hit “end call” on his phone, no longer requiring it. 

    “But you’re so busy trying to help the intelligence unit, please, let me make you something,” The conversation seamlessly carried on without pause despite the switch in communication methods. “I can’t let you work so hard without so much as a few bites,” Your hands that had been placed on his chest were taken in your lover’s. His eyes studied your hands, small, and dainty. A few scars grazed your skin from minor mishaps. A burn from a hot pot, a scratch from scissors whose control was lost, but your hands were precious nonetheless. Bringing them to his lips, he placed delicate kisses on each finger. Your eyes tried to search his half-lidded ones, but his irises would not meet yours.

    “I starved you,” His voice wavered, eyes searching elsewhere, taking sudden fascination in anything that was not your searing gaze. He could feel it, regardless of his attempts to ignore it. It burned and pricked the back of his neck. Saeran’s heart ached, he had accepted what he had done to you, but the guilt was etched deeply into his heart. He was still nervous about Ray and Saeran mixing together inside him. Saeran was a monster, a vile villain who had left a deep purple mark on the crook of your neck. He starved you to gain an advantage, to showcase his ego. Ray on the other hand, was overflowing with love, who still allowed himself to be trapped by his past. Could these two really create a person who could love you properly? “Have you even eaten anything yet?” He questioned.

    “I...was able to get something earlier,” Remembering the items V had left for you, you wondered if it would be okay to tell him about it. Would it upset him? Could it jeopardise V’s safety?  _ “No…” _ You thought to yourself.  _ “Saeran would never be upset at this. The Saeran I know now, is not the Saeran I knew two days ago.” _ You knew he was still balancing out himself, finding who he truly was. But you didn’t want to risk bringing someone like V up at a time like this. He was still a little unstable, and seeing how he harboured so much detest for V, it was wise to leave the subject for another time. Cool hands met your heated cheeks, angling your face to his. Ironic, considering only a moment ago he couldn’t bear to meet your gaze. His eyes studied your sunken cheeks, the lilacs that blossomed under your eyes, your skin and irises devoid of the colour that once graced them.  With how fragile you looked, who knew when you could collapse? That would be his biggest undoing. Seeing you in such a weakened state was not something he could take sitting down right now.

    “I need you to sit down, please, I’ll make you something,” Tears brimmed his eyes, a mixture of guilt and worry threatening to spill over. Saeran tried to ease you into a nearby chair. Dust flew in the air as you sat down on the white plush,  it swirled in the beams of sunlight seeping through curtains. There wasn’t much of a chance to dust yet, not that either of you had the energy to do so anyways. With running away from Magenta, the emotional exhaustion you two had faced, your forced diet, and the pressing matters at hand, it’s no shock your energy reserves ran low.

    “S-Saeran please, it’s not your fault, it’s okay,”

    “It’s not okay until I fix this. I’m the one who starved you, I should be the one to feed you,” His hands were frantically reaching for the fridge. Pages of various recipes he’d learned over the years raced in his mind. What to make...What to make… Something sweet? Or maybe you’d rather have something savoury, full of nutrients you’d been deprived of? Anything at this point would be satisfactory, though he wanted you to enjoy his cooking as much as possible, like he’d always dreamed of. 

    “You weren’t yourself, I don’t blame you for any of this.” Once again, you moved closer to him, arms wrapping around his waist, you pressed your cheek into his back. His spine could be felt through thin, pale skin. Every vertebrae a reminder of how poorly he was looked after. Failed by both himself, and the so-called saviour. Malnourished, sleep deprived, denied a healthy love life … Why did he have to suffer so? Saeran stilled himself for a moment. He didn’t dare speak a word in reply. Only shaky breaths filled the air. The calm before the storm. A sob muffled by a palm broke the serenity of the moment. Saeran tried to wipe his tears, anything to prevent you from seeing the dam breaking. You had been his pillar of strength, and how could he be yours if he couldn’t stop crying in front of his beloved?

    “I...L-Love you so much,” He spoke between choked sobs, “I can’t s-stand the thought of hurting y-you,” It felt like the oddest moment for a confession of love, but those three words were all that came to his mind in the heat of the moment. You accepted him, no matter what. Through all his current and past faults, you took it all and braced it. Your heart ached, pounding uncomfortably in your chest, threatening to crack your ribs to free itself. Trying to pump sweet blood into the rest of your body. Willing it to move, to do something in that moment to ease the pain not only you felt, but Saeran’s as well. You overflowed with empathy for him. Never pity. It was unfortunate life had dealt him a bad hand of cards, but you didn’t look down on him for it. Instead, you stood beside him, encouraging him to press on until sunny days arrived. Your arms tightened around him as if they were trying to squeeze out any negative thoughts that may still be lurking behind his eyes. Any darkness left in the crevices of his mind, you’d get rid of it. “Even if it wasn’t truly m-me, I don’t want to s-see you suffer a-anymore,” His uncontrollable sobs continued to wrack his body in between mangled words.

    “I will never suffer, so long as I’m with you,” Your words hung in the air, ghosted over Saeran’s ear. It was a promise with hidden layers. Unspoken, but he knew with that declaration, you’d never leave him. You wouldn’t give up on him. You’d be there down the rocky road of recovery with him. No matter how many breakdowns, how many times he’d fall, you’d be there to help him back up.

    Saeran spun around, tangling his fingers in your hair, holding you as close as could be. His embrace was suffocating, but you let it be. If it was what he needed right now, you’d happily give it to him. The boy had never had any meaning to his life, nothing to truly be happy about since Seven left him. If he asked for the sun, you’d tear it from the galaxies above and place the warmth of the rays in his palms. The only thing he had right now was you, and he needed you until he could find his feet to stand again. 

    “I love you, I love you so much...” He whispered your name and sweet nothings in your ear. “More than anyone could ever know, I love you…”

    “I love you too, Saeran. You have to forgive yourself. I’ve forgiven you, can’t you do the same?” The two of you could feel each other’s hearts beating, lungs exhaling, and that was all you desired in the moment. Each other. You needed Saeran in his entirety, just as much as he needed you. You needed his sweet words, his love of flowers, his smile, his fluffy bleached hair, and the pink in his cheeks. No words could express the deep emotions that come with the love, and grief you’d experienced together. The feelings were complex, but so is love, isn’t it?

    “I’ll try… I’ll try for you,” He whispered. “Just… Please, hold my hand along the way and don’t let go,” 

    “I’ll never let go, I love you. I’ll support you no matter what. We’ll find our happiness together,” Saeran nodded, smiling gently at you. You reached your fingers to his face, brushing away a stray tear. Before you could return your hand to your side, he snatched it once again, kissing the top of it gently. Only then, did he let you claim your hand once again.

    “Thank you. Truly, thank you.” He grasped your chin, angling it so your lips and his could meet. It was deep, passionate, but brief.The kind where you can feel the beating of your heart caught in your throat, and wonder if the other person can hear it. The two of you parted. The blush now present on both of your faces caused you two to chuckle in unison.

    “Now, how about we make something to eat together?” You asked, grasping his hand and leading him to the counter where you had previously laid out your ingredients.

    “Couldn’t have thought of a better idea myself.” 


End file.
